Life Almost Seemed Easy
by sashaashefromthecukooclan
Summary: When Peeta cheated on Katniss, her whole life changed, for the worse. Just when it seems to get better, something or someone screws up, and her whole world comes crashing down. Modern AU.


_**KATNISS POV**_

"GET UP BRAINLESS!" Johanna yells from the kitchen. "WE'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR WORK!" My job is on the way to hers. "OR ELSE I'M LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" I get mad, but I rollout of bed. Johanna and I live together because we both save money, and I don't want Peeta knowing I live alone. I check the time on my phone, and it is 7:55. DANG! WORK STARTS AT 8:00! OH MY BOSS IS GONNA KILL ME!

I run into the kitchen and I take the whole box of Fruit Loops with me. I get in Johanna's car, and I pour the Fruit Loops into my mouth and see Johanna laughing at me. I look down and see I am still in my Mickey Mouse pajamas! I curse under my breath and unbuckle my seatbelt. I make my way to the backseat and find one of Johanna's leather jackets, and lace up boots. "Ahhh, you look like a mini me now!" I smack her arm and she pretends it hurts more than anything she has ever felt. "Oh shut up" I say and smack her arm again.

We turn on the radio and it's on Love Will Remember by Selena Gomez. That reminds me of my relationship with Peeta. I turn down the volume and Johanna makes fun of me, and says I still love Peeta. "Just be quiet Jojo!" Jojo is the nickname Gale and I gave her, and she hates it. That's another reason why she hates Gale. We change the station, and I stop at Teenage Dream by Katy Perry and start singing along.

I arrive at work and Johanna drops me off. I take out my phone, plug in my ear buds, and play No Better by Lorde. I walk up to the mines and wonder what work is like for Johanna. All she does is cut down and re-plant trees. I am about to enter and I see Gale. "Hey," is all I say and I try to enter but he is blocking my way. "Are you going to move or what!?" I ask him trying to shove him out of the way.

"Go home." He says to me and takes off his jacket.

"Why should I listen to you?" I'm really starting to get impatient with him. I give him another shove

"I made the same mistake today." I am now confused. "It's Friday," he says simply. Shoot, I forgot, no work on Fridays.

I curse again. "Johanna is already gone and I need a ride home." He walks up to his car and asks me if I want a ride. It's hot outside, so I don't wanna walk home. I agree, but I have to go grocery shopping with him, which I don't mind too much. I have to watch what he buys or else he will but alcohol and I really don't wanna deal with a drunk Gale.

I get into Gale's car and turn on the radio. He flips around but I make him stop at Can't Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. He raps and I sing and before we know it we arrive at the store. He keeps on trying to sneak off and buy liquor but I won't let him. We walk into the meat section and I run into the person I wanna see least; Peeta. I whisper to Gale "just play along." I laugh like Gale has just said the funniest thing, knowing that would get Peeta's attention, and I give Gale a kiss on the cheek.

Peeta walk over to us looking like he is going to blow up and Gale puts his arm around me and we start doing that whole cheesy sounding 'no, I love you more' thing. Peeta clears his throat and we look up. "So Katniss, umm…" There is an awkward silence. "It looks like you moved on fast…"

"Yeah, umm…I did…" He looks hurt.

Then he turns to Gale. "You are VERY lucky." Gale nods slowly.

Peeta turns back to me. "Um…Katniss… I know that know you have a boyfriend, but um…can we at least be friends?"

He looks at me with hopeful eyes. It's hard to say no but I know that if I say yes, he will just break my heart again. I just reply, "I don't know Peeta…I don't think so…I need some time to think."

He looks heartbroken, but I can't take him back. I just can't. Not after what he did to me. Not even as a friend. Not now. Not ever.

~FLASHBACK ONE MONTH AGO~

Peeta and I lived together for a month now, and I got home from work early. I would've called, but I wanted to surprise him. On my way home I got a phone call from Johanna. I answered and she started yelling at me "Go to Glimmer's house! NOW!"

"WHY!" I complained "I DON'T WANT TO! I DON'T EVEN LIKE GLIMMER!"

"Trust me. You wanna go!"

"CAN'T YOU AT LEAST TELL ME WHY!?"

"NO! You won't believe me."

I turned my car around and drove to Glimmer's house. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I tried the doorknob and it was unlocked. It felt wrong invading Glimmer's property, but I wanted to know what Johanna wanted me to see so badly. Glimmer probably knows I'm coming anyway! I look around and see something I wish I could un-see. Peeta and Glimmer were on the couch. Doing something, something VERY horrible.

"Peeta" I said barely above a whisper. He looked up and saw me holding in my tears. "It's over." That was the worse thing I have ever said, but I just couldn't face him. I ended up sprinting. That's when I slipped on ice and he caught up to me.

"Katniss, it wasn't what it looked like! Nothing was going on between me and Glimmer! It was her not me!"

I couldn't take it anymore "Then why were YOU pulling HER in!?" Before he had a chance to respond I smacked him and kicked him in the balls. "Goodbye Peeta."

~FLASHBACK OVER~

"Katniss, Katniss wake up, EARTH TO KATNISS!" Gale and Peeta are both yelling.

"Huh." I finally realized I totally zoned out on them. Before I could even think, I slapped Peeta again. "GO BACK TO GLIMMER!" I scream at him. That's when Gale dragged me out of the store. "NO! I'M NOT DONE! LET ME GO!" I curse Gale over and over again, then when I finally calm down Gale starts the car.

"Let's go get a movie at redbox!" he suggests. I don't deny. We end up getting Edward Scissorhands because we both like that weird style of movies, and neither of us have seen it before. We also got Mockingjay because Johanna and I like The Hunger Games series, and Gale likes war movies.

When we get to my house Gale makes popcorn, while I set up the movie and fast forward the commercials. It turns out we have been out for a long time. It is 6:00 and Johanna gets home at 7:00. We decide to wait for Johanna to come home for us to watch the movies. Gale puts the popcorn in the fridge although I don't really like cold popcorn, and we decide to get food. We go to Burger King and we all just get a simple burger and fries, although Gale is a pig and decides to get onion rings, and a tall chocolate milkshake.

We get to my house and find Johanna impatiently eating all the popcorn Gale made. He gets pissed and I just watch him get mad and laugh at how much he is over reacting. We first watch Mockingjay, because Johanna just happened to bring her axe home. I like the main character, and Johanna and Gale tease me saying she looks like me, and we act the same, and all that. Then we watch Edward Scissorhands and laugh ant the desperate housewives of the neighborhood, and cry at the ending. Even Gale cried, knowing Edward will be all alone for the rest of his life. That must be lonely and sad to live with no visitors, or at least a friendly phone call. Everyone thinking you're dead.

"BRAINLESS!" Johanna is yelling at me, interrupting my thoughts.

"What? Sorry I zoned out again."

"Gale is spending the night. Go set up the guest room." I set up the guest room and I hear a knock at the door.

"BRAINLESS, YOU GO ANSWER IT! I'M TOO TIRED!" That's Johanna.

I open the door and I find a desperate Peeta at the door, holding cupcakes with words carefully frosted on them "I still love you, Katniss!" I slam the door but not before taking the cupcake saying "Katniss" and shoving Peeta.

I go to sleep and wake up in the kitchen with ketchup, mustard, and whipped cream all over my face. Gale has to go, and help his mom with some "family emergency." I give him the keys to his car and playfully tell him to get out.

Before he leaves, he does something VERY unexpected. He leans in and kisses me. I wipe my mouth and smack him REAL hard, making sure he got the message.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: I KNOW MOCKINGJAY ISN'T OUT YET, BUT LET'S JUST PRETEND IT IS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK GALE WILL AGREE WITH CATCHING FIRE. SO ALSO (I'M SO AWKWARD) I KNOW THAT MY STORY MAKES IT SOUND LIKE PEETA HATE, BUT NO PEETA HATE IMPLIED. ALSO, A LITTLE GALE HATE (SORRY). IF YOU GET MAD AND THINK IT IS PEETA HATE, THEN WAIT TILL LATER CHAPTERS, IT GETS BETTER! (BUT, NO PROMISES). ALSO I HAVE A SYOT PLEASE FILL IT OUT, IT'S ON MY PROFILE!**


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